A very presidential event

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, February 19, 2006

Deckerville Elementary School students visited a wax museum recently in their own school gymnasium. The 24 figures in this museum came to life and talked about the U.S. presidents they represented.

Deckerville Elementary School students visited a wax museum recently in their own school gymnasium. The 24 figures in this museum came to life and talked about the U.S. presidents they represented. These wax figures actually were fourth grade students in Gary Cesefskes class, dressed up as their chosen president.

This Presidents Day event has been a tradition at Deckerville Elementary for about 14 to 15 years. Each student in Cesefskes class picks a different president, does a research report, and prepares a one to three minute speech on the president. Students must memorize this speech, because this is what they recite at the wax museum. Students also make a poster about their presidents.

At the museum, sixth-graders who previously took on the role of presidents act as tour guides. They take other elementary students in small groups to each of the presidents. Students push an imaginary button to hear the presidents recite their speeches.

Cesefske said by the time all of the students come through the museum, each of the student presidents recites his or her speech about 35 times.

He said the project teaches students about the leaders of their country and gives them an opportunity to learn research and public speaking skills. Its a chance for them to do something different, he said.

Cesefske said years later, students still remember what president they represented.

Pictured, students dressed up as presidents Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, and Zachary Taylor give their speeches to students. Other presidents represented at the museum included George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Jimmy Carter, among others.